Two bowl barrows 480m north east of Leworthy Cross, Bratton Down

A Scheduled Monument in Bratton Fleming, Devon

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.1345 / 51°8'4"N

Longitude: -3.9076 / 3°54'27"W

OS Eastings: 266630.524826

OS Northings: 138982.623184

OS Grid: SS666389

Mapcode National: GBR KY.8V6L

Mapcode Global: VH4MN.7R24

Entry Name: Two bowl barrows 480m north east of Leworthy Cross, Bratton Down

Scheduled Date: 9 January 1948

Last Amended: 7 July 1999

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1016654

English Heritage Legacy ID: 32214

County: Devon

Civil Parish: Bratton Fleming

Traditional County: Devon

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon

Church of England Parish: Bratton Fleming St Peter

Church of England Diocese: Exeter

Details

The monument includes two bowl barrows situated on a prominent upland ridge
known as Bratton Down. They form part of a dispersed group of barrows recorded
in this area. The southernmost barrow survives as a circular mound which
measures 23.1m in diameter and 1.5m high. The surrounding ditch from which
material to construct the mound was derived survives as a buried feature. The
northernmost barrow survives as a circular mound with a diameter of 21.1m and
it is 0.5m high. The surrounding ditch is preserved as a buried feature. The
ditches of the two barrows merge; both are approximately 5m wide.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Bowl barrows, the most numerous form of round barrow, are funerary monuments
dating from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, with most
examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC. They were constructed as
earthen or rubble mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered single or multiple
burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as cemeteries and often
acted as a focus for burials in later periods. Often superficially similar,
although differing widely in size, they exhibit regional variations in form
and a diversity of burial practices. There are over 10,000 surviving bowl
barrows recorded nationally (many more have already been destroyed), occurring
across most of lowland Britain. Often occupying prominent locations, they are
a major historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable
variation of form and longevity as a monument type provide important
information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early
prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period
and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.

The two barrows 480m north east of Leworthy Cross, Bratton Down survive well
and form part of a group recorded in this area. Despite reduction in the
height of the northernmost barrow through cultivation, preservation of the
archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the mound and the
surrounding landscape remain. The southernmost barrow is preserved in very
fine condition, and is not thought to have been disturbed.

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